Reconciling People—and Cultures—to God
April 11, 2025
“You’ve changed,” said Mary-Vonn’s friends to her with concerned expressions. “What’s wrong with you?”
When the slender sixty-year-old woman with dyed reddish-brown hair explained to them that she had finally put her faith in Jesus and become a true believer, the news didn’t go over well.
“Aren’t we Catholics, after all?” They objected, clearly offended. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Mary-Vonn’s companions couldn’t deny, however, that she had sparkle in her eye that they had never seen before. All of this had come about since she’d decided to attend an Alpha Course, taught by Greater Europe Mission worker Roy Nagelkirk, at her son Greg’s church. Greg had been witnessing to his mother for a long time and was thrilled when she decided to take part.
A Woman Changed
Mary-Vonn had always had a love-hate relationship with the Catholic Church. At times, she had wanted to leave it and look elsewhere, but guilt paralyzed her. Her deep, internal struggle was visible to Roy and his wife Jennifer. She seemed so close to a decision to trust Jesus, but something always held her back.
Then, one day, they witnessed a stark change in Mary-Vonn. The grandmotherly woman with a warm smile showed up at church looking as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Before, she had always seemed withdrawn and preoccupied. Now her eyes sparkled. Her countenance had brightened. She radiated joy when she told the Nagelkirks that she had prayed and decided to trust in Jesus Christ.
Mary-Vonn’s salvation encouraged the Nagelkirks in more ways than one. It not only pleased them to know that Mary-Vonn was now a believer, but it confirmed that they had taken a correct turn in ministry. It hadn’t always been so clear. Because they had originally come to France to reach Muslim immigrants, Roy and Jennifer had never pictured themselves ministering to French people like Mary-Vonn.
Called to Minister to Muslim Immigrants
Instead, they had pictured themselves continuing their work among the large North African population in Grenoble, where they first met Djamel, an Algerian believer. Djamel, born in France but forced by his father to return to Algeria against his will as a teen, had witnessed horrific violence committed in the name of Islam. While still in North Africa, he’d cried out to God, promising to follow him if only he could take his wife and children back to France.
Ultimately, Djamel was able to arrange to leave Algeria and re-enter the country of his birth. In France, he met Roy, who began to explore the Scriptures with him. When Djamel read in Romans 10:9, “If you confess Jesus Christ as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” he knew he had a decision to make.
He chose to follow Jesus.
For 20 years, Roy walked side by side with Djamel, first as a discipler and eventually as a true friend and brother in Christ. The dark-eyed, olive-skinned Algerian could be loud and bombastic, wearing his emotions on his sleeve, and these qualities served him well whenever he visited Algeria and held bold and lively discussions with Muslims about Jesus.
Over the next two decades, Djamel faithfully followed Jesus as the only believer in his Muslim family. His wife and children flatly refused to believe, so he graciously accepted their decision to continue in Islam while he worshipped and studied the Bible with other North African believers.
Djamel died of leukemia in his early 60s. He went to the Lord in peace, singing and praying, despite knowing his family would refuse to bury him as a Christian.
“I don’t care where they put me,” said Djamel on his deathbed. “I’ll be with Jesus.”
Moved to Minister to All
It was for the Djamels of France that the Nagelkirks had come to Europe, but when a need for leadership in a local French church arose, Roy and Jennifer agreed to take an unexpected detour. They stepped up to fill the gap. Working with a French church meant less time for Muslim ministry, and sometimes that felt strange because the Nagelkirks’ hearts were still strongly with Muslim seekers and believers.
But seeing Mary-Vonn come to Christ confirmed that God had put them where they were for a reason.
“It’s an example of how you don’t know where God is going to bring you in ministry,” says Roy. “You can start in one place and end up in another.”
“Obviously, both Muslims and French people need Christ, but they are two vastly different cultures. Although we came to France to focus only on Muslims, today we strive to reconcile these two cultures, figuring out how to minister to each of them effectively.”
The Nagelkirks are living out a reality that many GEM workers discover. While God may lead people to a specific country or people group initially, he may reroute them according to where they are most needed at any given time. The willingness to pivot can bring tremendous blessings, as well as bless others.
If you would like to know more about evangelism and church planting in France, contact [email protected].
About the author: Jenny Garrity is a Storyteller with Greater Europe Mission. Jenny and her husband Kim joined GEM in 1984. They have served in Germany, Belgium, and most recently, Greece in response to the refugee crisis.